Weston didn’t look convinced. “Perhaps you should rest. You will need your strength for tomorrow.”
Adam patted Weston’s back fondly. “I’ll be okay once I feed.”
Icy tendrils slithered down my spine at his choice of words. He’d said “feed” instead of “eat,” and that made me suddenly afraid I wasn’t just his dinner companion. Was he planning to feed from me tonight? Because that would mean…
I nearly gagged on the panic and nausea rising up in my throat. Automatically, I took a step back and came up against the hard, unmoving chest of my other guard.
Adam spoke to Ree as if I hadn’t just attempted to run.
“Ree, please, tell the kitchen we are ready for our meal.”
“Yes, Master.”
She bowed and hurried out, leaving me with Adam and my two guards—and a growing pit in my stomach.
“Beth, come sit with me,” Adam said as he walked over to the sofa near the fire. He moved slower than normal, and he almost stumbled once.
The guard behind me gave me a not-so-subtle nudge when I didn’t move. I forced my legs to cross the room and take a seat as far as I could from Adam on the sofa.
Being this near to him had my emotions in a tug of war. The part of me under his influence wanted to slide across the cushion to him. The rest of me was scanning the room for anything to use as a weapon if he tried to touch me.
Weston went to a side table and poured two glasses of red wine, which he carried over to us. I took mine to appear like I was going along with whatever this was, but I had no intention of drinking it. Something told me if I ever needed a clear head, it would be tonight. And I didn’t put it past them to drug me.
Adam accepted his glass. “Thank you. You and Giles may leave now.”
Weston frowned, and his gaze flitted to me.
“Are you sure, Father?”
“Yes. I want to spend time alone with Beth.” Adam smiled at me. “I think she’ll be more comfortable if it’s just the two of us.”
Weston hesitated, and Adam chuckled.
“I love your devotion, my son, but I think I’ll be safe with her. It’s not as if she can escape from down here.”
“As you wish.”
The two Incubi left, and the room was quiet except for the crackle of the fire. I swirled the wine in my glass as I waited for Adam to speak.
“Am I really so repugnant that you can’t even look at me?”
I took a breath and lifted my eyes to meet his.
“Are you going to feed from me?”
His eyebrows shot up. “You don’t beat around the bush, do you?”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“And if I say yes?”
My body tensed, and I had to loosen my grip on the wine glass before I snapped the fragile stem. I tried without success to keep the quiver out of my voice. “You said you would never force me.”
He sighed. “I didn’t lie. I won’t force you.”
I let out a trembling breath.
The door opened, and two mox demons entered, carrying covered dishes. They laid the dishes on the table, bowed to us, and left, shutting the door behind them. I heard a scraping sound followed by an ominous click when the locks on the heavy door engaged.
Adam sniffed the air. “Prime rib, my favorite. Shall we eat?”
We went to the table and Adam pulled out my chair for me. I watched him closely as he removed the dish covers and took his seat. He was definitely moving slower, and some of his movements were a little jerky. He’d looked tired a few times in the last five days but nothing like this.
“Are you sick?”
He glanced up from cutting his meat. “No. I’m just a little drained at the moment.”
“Drained?”
“You rely on your demon’s strength, correct? Have you ever used up too much of it at once?”
I thought about the night I’d dived off the Golden Gate Bridge. “Yes.”
“It’s the same for me. I used up too much of my energy today, and now I need time to recover. I’ll be good in a few hours.”
I took a bite of prime rib while I thought about whether or not to ask my next question.
“How did you use up all your energy?”
Adam regarded me for a few seconds before he laid his fork on his plate and gave me his full attention. He looked like he was trying to decide if I was playing an angle or interested in knowing more about him.
“I told you I have to feed my girls daily before and during their pregnancies.”
I nodded.
“The closer I get to breeding, I have to give them more of my energy to help them conceive.”
I pretended to take a sip of wine to cover my revulsion. I wasn’t sure if I managed to hide it, but his expression didn’t change.
“Do you have more questions?” he asked. “I’m happy to answer them all.”
“What happens tomorrow?”
His eyes grew darker. “I think you already know the answer to that question.”
I said nothing as I set my glass down with a trembling hand. Now I knew why there had been no one in the drawing room tonight, and why he’d depleted so much of his energy. He had prepared them to breed with him tomorrow.
I also knew just by looking at him that he didn’t have the strength to do that, not without replenishing his energy. I’d seen the hunger in his eyes when he’d entered the room, and it hadn’t been for food. He needed to feed from a female, and it was either me or one of his slaves. I had a sick feeling I’d lost the draw, no matter what he’d said a few minutes ago.
“Your face is like an open book,” Adam said softly, pulling my gaze back to him.
“Then I don’t need to tell you what I’m thinking,” I replied in a tight voice as I fought to keep my emotions in check.
“No.”
He smiled and stood, coming around the table to me. Even in his weakened state, he was able to reach me before I could push back my chair. He took my hand in a firm but gentle grip, and I had no choice but to stand.
I found myself facing him, our bodies inches apart. Once again, the desire for him flared, stronger this time, and I swayed from the need to move closer to him. But more disturbing than the physical attraction was the emotional one. I knew it wasn’t love, but his influence over me made it feel like it was.
My chest ached with a mix of yearning for Adam and devastation over my betrayal of Chris. How could I love Chris and have feelings for this monster? Nothing, no drug or magic or demon power, should be able to come between our love.
“Don’t be afraid, love,” Adam murmured.
He put his free hand on the back of my head and pulled me closer until our mouths met. Mine opened for him against my will, and he kissed me long and slow. Tears ran unchecked down my cheeks, and I tasted them on our joined lips. My Mori cried out and then shrank away as Adam breathed his energy into me. I was powerless to stop him. After a minute, I wasn’t sure I wanted it to stop.
Adam broke the kiss and led me over to the sofa. I went, unresisting, and sat beside him.
He smiled at me, his eyes dark with lust. It should have frightened me, but I felt dazed. The world had taken on a surreal quality, as if this were only a dream I would wake from any second.
“You truly are breathtaking,” he said huskily, running his fingers through my hair.
“No…force,” I protested weakly.
“No force,” he echoed before he kissed me again.
I felt his power flow into me, and a part of my brain registered that he wouldn’t need to use force if he continued to feed me like this. The realization made me suck in a sharp breath, and I felt a burst of his power flow into me. Dully, I mused that he wasn’t going to have the strength to do anything if he kept giving it to me.
I’m not sure if it was a conscious thought or pure survival instinct driving me. I put my hands on either side of his face and kissed him back until he was breathing heavier. Then I pushed him down until he was lying on the sofa with me half on top of him. He let out a low groan, and I knew I had him where I wanted him.
I inhaled deeply.
The first stream of power was stronger than I’d expected, and it left me lightheaded. I had to take a moment to adjust before I took more from him.